In Spring of 1999, we had the good fortune of laying claim to the title of 'World's Largest Orchid Flower' as certified by the Guinness Book of World records.

Paphiopedilum sanderianum 'Rapunzel' AM/AOS was grown and shown, with a stunning display of 5 flowers, each an unprecedented 88.5 cm long and displaying a total of nearly 29 feet of petals at a single flowering, by Dr. John Doherty in the summer of 1995. It has indeed flowered once more since then - and it was larger! Easily the most aesthetically wondrous member of the entire genus Paphiopedilum, this specimen was grown for many years under close scrutiny and continuous TLC before producing its record setting spike. Ideal conditions appear to be bright and warm, as for most strap leafed Paphs. High humidity also seems to be important, especially during anthesis to ensure proper petal development (petals may grow up to 12 cm per day) Paph. sanderianum does not appear to respond well to repotting, contrary to what is typical for the genus.

We receive frequent requests for seedlings from this queen, which has thus far unfortunately been reluctant to self pollinate or outcross. Check back to this site for availability updates….